Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand
Jul 2, 2024 - A policy brief from the National Rural Health Association notes that cyberattacks at healthcare facilities have increased more than 125% since 2023. Rural hospitals typically have an older IT infrastructure and inadequate IT staffing, which makes them particularly vulnerable. Microsoft and Google are offering free or discounted services to rural hospitals to help them prevent cyberattacks.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jun 28, 2024 - Highlights how University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG) graduates are filling gaps in the rural healthcare workforce throughout NC. Discusses scholarship programs for low-income students and the utilization of programs like the AmeriCorps MedServe fellowship.
Source: UNC Greensboro
Jun 18, 2024 - Discusses how new funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will be used to expand the rural OBGYN residency track at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Explores factors contributing to recent closures of rural Wisconsin obstetrics services, including provider shortages, low volume of deliveries, and declining local birth rates.
Source: Wisconsin Public Radio
Jun 17, 2024 - Presents overview of health disparities and barriers to healthcare access in rural and tribal communities in South Dakota. Describes a variety of efforts to improve access and lessen disparities, including mobile clinics, programs that offer financial incentives to rural providers, and efforts to address the social determinants of health.
Source: South Dakota News Watch
Jun 11, 2024 - Announces a new consortium of 7 academic institutions that will work to address healthcare workforce shortages, economic development, and regional prosperity for 235 counties in 6 states making up central Appalachia. The consortium will create formal relationships between the universities, conduct needs assessments for healthcare workforce, conduct research, and develop an implementation plan.
Jun 11, 2024 - Outlines factors contributing to a shortage of primary care physicians in rural Idaho, including medical debt. Provides overview of the Rural Physician Incentive Program (RPIP), which offers loan repayment over the course of four years for physicians practicing in rural communities. Notes that 114 physicians have participated in the program since 2013, with 91% continuing to practice in a rural community after program conclusion.
Source: Idaho Capital Sun
Jun 10, 2024 - Discusses the impact of affordable housing shortages on rural economies and workforce recruitment. Highlights a non-profit program in rural Missouri aiming to increase housing options in part by selling homes to schools and hospitals as an incentive to recruit workforce.
Source: The Beacon
Jun 6, 2024 - Highlights a shortage of psychiatrists and mental health services in rural north Florida. Discusses services offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which reaches rural populations through a variety of free online support groups. Explores additional efforts to increase access to services in rural areas, including the integration of mental health services into primary care and a nonprofit clinic network staffed by psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Source: WCTV
Jun 5, 2024 - Applications are open for the Rural Nursing Recruitment & Retention Program, which provides eligible healthcare facilities with funds to incentivize nurses to work in rural Texas. Awarded facilities can give $15,000 to nurses who agree to work fulltime for at least three years.
Source: ValleyCentral.com
Jun 4, 2024 - Profiles patients and staff at a Rural Health Clinic in Elberton, Georgia. Describes ongoing challenges in accessing care such as lack of transportation, and highlights the growing need for mental health services.
Source: NPR